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BANCROFT 
LIBRARY 


THE  LIBRARY 


THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


MEMORIAL 


OF 


C(K  ^topic's  pacific  Ba.ilr.oiib  Company 


IX  AID  OF  THEIR  PETITION  OF   Kirn  APRIL,  1860. 


BY  JOSIAII  PERHAM,  PRESIDENT. 


H.  Polkinhorn,  Printer.  1)  street.  brt.Wli  an«- 


& 

BANCROFT  U1BRAKY 

MEMORIAL 

OF 


People's  Ijarific  Jbitaab 


TN  AID  OF  THETR  PETITION  OF  16iH  APRIL,  1860. 


To  the,  Honorable  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  of  the  United 
States  of  America  in  Congress  assembled: 

The  undersigned,  President  of  the  Board  of  Commissioners  of  the 
People's  Pacific  Railroad  Company,  a  company  chartered  by  the  Legis- 
lature of  the  State  of  Maine  for  the  purpose  of  building  a  railroad  from 
the  Missouri  river  by  way  of  the  Pike's  Peak  Gold  Mines  and  Utah  to 
the  city  of  San  Francisco,  on  the  Pacific  coast ;  by  order  of  said  Board 
of  Commissioners,  would  respectfully  present  the  following  petition 
and  statement  in  aid  of  our  petition  presented  to  both  Houses  of  Congress 
on  the  16th  day  of  April  last. 

In  that  petition  we  respectfully  asked  Congress  to  grant  the  right  of 
way  across  the  Territories  of  the  United  States,  and  make  such  grants 
of  land  as  they  may  deem  just  and  equitable  for  the  promotion  of  an 
object  which  for  years  has  excited  the  highest  interest  throughout  the 
whole  country. 

From  the  7th  of  May  last  until  the  adjournment  of  Congress  on  the 
25th  of  June,  the  undersigned  remained  in  Washington,  to  become  ac- 
quainted with  members  of  Congress,  to  get  their  views  on  the  subject 
of  a  Pacific  Railroad,  and  also,  to  become  acquainted  and  get  the  views 
of  private  citizens  from  different  parts  of  the  United  States,  which 
were  then  in  Washington.  . 

From  the  information  thus  obtained  we  became  fully  impressed  with 
the  belief  that  it  was  not  for  the  want  of  a  disposition  of  the  members 
of  Congress  to  aid  in  the  construction  of  a  Pacific  Railroad,  but  for  the 
want  of  some  general  and  specific  plan  which  would  commend  itself, 
and  meet  the  wants  of  the  country. 


2  PEOPLE'S  PACIFIC  KAILROAD. 

Therefore,  on  the  adjournment  of  Congress,  our  Board  of  Commis- 
sioners earnestly  set  themselves  to  work  to  devise  a  plan  for  the  con- 
struction of  a  Pacific  Eailroad  that  would  meet  the  views  of  Congress 
and  the  people  of  the  whole  country,  for  that  purpose  we  opened  books 
for  the  subscription  of  stock  in  several  of  our  Atlantic  cities,  and  like- 
wise in  towns  and  villages  in  many  of  the  States. 

By  calling  upon  people  to  subscribe  for  stock,  we  could  generally 
get  their  attention  sufficiently  to  hear  their  views  on  the  subject,  we 
found  many  viewed  it  as  a  visionary  scheme,  especially  among  the 
wealthy,  but  among  the  masses,  the  bone  and  muscle  of  the  country, 
they  said  a  road  could  be  built  on  our  plan,  that  is  by  subscription 
from  the  people  in  small  sums  with  the  aid  of  the  Government,  yet, 
thousands  would  not  subscribe,  they  said,  until  Congress  had  agreed  to 
aid  in  its  constructiou,  but  with  perseverance  and  great  labor  we  have 
found  whole  souled  patriots  who  have  run  the  risk  to  subscribe  and 
pay  in  the  first  installment,  saying,  "  We  will  do  so  much  to  aid  you 
in  your  noble  efforts,  with  the  belief  that  Congress  will  come  to  your 
aid  when  they  know  with  what  untiring  zeal  you  are  prosecuting  this 
glorious  enterprise." 

We  have  more  than  twenty  men,  in  different  parts  of  the  country, 
soliciting  subscription  to  the  stock  of  the  People's  Pacific  Kailroad,  and 
our  subscriptions  have  reached  to  nearly  two  millions  of  dollars. 

In  asking  for  subscriptions  to  our  stock,  we  have  found  many  who 
would  prefer  to  subscribe  for  stock  in  a  Northern  Pacific  Kailroad,  from 
the  western  border  of  Minnesota  to  Puget  Sound,  while  others  would 
prefer  to  subscribe  for  stock  in  a  Southern  Pacific  Eailroad.  We  have 
subscribers  of  stock  in  ten  different  States  of  our  Union,  and  one  hun- 
dred shares  subscribed  by  citizens  of  Texas  —  the  State  presided  over 
by  that  noble  statesman  and  patriot,  the  hero  of  San  Jacinto. 

The  subscribers  said  they  would  prefer  to  aid  in  the  construction  of 
a  Southern  Pacific  Eailroad,  but  at  any  rate  they  would  favor  the 
building  of  a  road  on  the  plan  proposed  by  the  People's  Pacific  Rail- 
road Company. 

Having  conversed  with  the  people  from  all  parts  of  the  United 
States  —  the  North,  the  South,  the  East,  the  West,  and  central  portions 
of  this  great  country  —  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  their  views,  and 
learning  their  wants,  the  Board  of  Commissioners  have  arrived  at  the 
conclusion  that  the  country  needs  three  Pacific  railroads,  and  that  the 
whole  people  of  the  country  will  not  be  satisfied  with  less  than  that 
number.  Therefore  I  am  instructed  by  said  Board  of  Commissioners 
to  ask  aid  of  Congress,  in  not  only  for  the  People's  Pacific  Eailroad,  but 


PEOPLE'S  PACIFIC  KAIL&OAD.  3 

also  to  aid  in  the  construction  of  a  Northern  and  Southern  Pacific 
Railroad. 

As  to  the  practicability  of  building  railroads  on  these  routes,  there 
can  be  no  doubt.  They  have  all  been  examined  and  reported  favora- 
bly upon  by  some  of  our  best  and  most  eminent  engineers>  to  whose 
reports  you  are  referred ;  and  would  also  refer  you  to  the  very  able 
reports  of  the  majority  and  minority  of  the  select  committee  of  fifteen 
on  the  Pacific  Railroad,  of  the  present  House  of  Representatives^  Mr. 
Aldrich,  of  Minnesota,  from  the  minority  of  the  committee,  presented 
a  very  able  and  elaborate  report,  on  the  16th  of  April  last,  showing  why 
a  Northern  Railroad  should  be  constructed.  On  the  28th  of  May  last , 
Governor  Stevens,  delegate  from  Washington  Territory,  made  a  very 
able  and  conclusive  speech  on  that  subject  in  the  House  of  Represen- 
tatives, which  should  convince  every  one  that  reads  it  that  a  Northern 
Pacific  Railroad  should  be  constructed.  That  speech  which  covers  the 
whole  ground,  and  is  so  national  in  its  sentiments,  that  I  have  caused 
copies  of  it  to  be  laid  on  the  table  of  each  member,  with  the  hope  that 
it  will  be  carefully  examined. 

J  BANCROFT  LIBRARY 

In  asking  the  people  of  Canada  to  subscribe  for  stock  in  the  People's 
Pacific  Railroad,  while  they  approved  our  plans  and  acknowleged  that 
the  road  should  be  built,  they  replied  that  they  would  aid  in  the  con* 
struction  of  a  Northern  road  with  the  Eastern  terminus  near  Lake  Su- 
perior, and  the  Western  terminus  on  Puget  Sound,  because  it  would 
accommodate  their  Northwestern  possessions  and  give  business  to  the 
Grand  Trunk  railroad.  When  the  Prince  of  Wales  was  in  this  country 
in  conversotion  with  members  of  his  suite,  they  informed  us  that  the 
British  Government  Was  very  desirous  of  having  a  railroad  connection 
with  their  Northwest  coast,  and  they  believed'  they  would  have  such 
communication  within  seven  years,  but  said  if  the  American  people 
and  government  should  construct  one  in  their  possessions,  on  or  near  the 
forty-seventh  parallel  of  North  latitude,  it  would  supersede  the  neces- 
sity of  their  building  a  road,  and  that  British  capital  could  be  obtained 
to  aid  in  its  construction,  if  built  on  the  plan  proposed  by  the  People's 
Pacific  Railroad  Company.  They  further  intimated  that  the  British 
Government  might  be  inclined  to  make  a  contract  with  the  road  in  con- 
nection with  the  Grand  Trunk,  to  convey  mails,  troops,  and  public 
stores,  for  a  term  of  twenty  or  fifty  years,  paying  at  the  rate  of  five 
millions  of  dollars  per  annum.  I  think  it  would  be  safe  to  calculate  if 
our  people  will  commence  immediately  to  build  the  Northern  railroad, 
that  capital  from  the  Canadas  and  from  England  could  be  obtained  in 
the  shape  of  subscriptions  of  stock  to  the  amount  of  ten  millions  o.f 


4  PEOPLE'S  PACIFIC  EIALHOAD. 

dollars,  while  if  the  Northern  road  is  not  built,  we  cannot  expect  more 
than  one  or  two  millions  of  subscriptions  from  the  same  quarter  to  build 
the  Central  or  People's  road. 

The  reasons  why  the  Central  or  People's  Pacific  Eailroad  should 
be  constructed  are  so  obvious,  that  we  need  say  but  very  little  on  that 
subject ;  everybody  believes  and  says  it  should  be  constructed  in  the 
quickest  possible  time.  There  are  more  than  three  hundred  thousand 
people  that  travel  over  a  portion  or  the  whole  of  that  route  every 
year,  nine-tenths  of  the  land  travel  between  the  Eastern  States  and 
California  go  by  this  route — this  is  the  Pony  Express  route,  the  route 
on  which  the  Telegraph  line  is  now  being  constructed,  and  the  route 
on  whicn  thousands  of  teams  have  traveled  over,  with  more  than 
two  tons  of  freight  to  each  load. 

For  more  particulars  with  regard  to  this  route,  I  will  refer  you  to 
the  very  able  report  of  Mr.  Curtis  of  Iowa,  chairman  of  the  Select 
committee  of  fifteen. 

Of  the  Southern  route  I  have  not  been  able  to  obtain  so  much  infor- 
mation as  of  the  others,  except  by  the  reports  of  Engineers  and  of  the 
very  remarkably  able  and  lucid  report  of  Mr.  Hamilton  of  Texas,  from 
the  minority  of  the  Select  Committee. 

Tnat  report  I  commend  to  the  consideration  of  every  member  of 
Congress  before  they  take  a  vote  on  the  question;  the  broad  and 
national  sentiments  contained  therein  should  be  responded  to  by  every 
lover  of  the  Union. 

The  Southern  Pacific  Eailroad  is  wanted  for  the  protection  of  our 
people  on  our  Southern  borders  and  to  aid  us  in  taking  care  of  the 
people  of  the  Northern  States  of  Mexico,  which  we  must  do,  if  we  do 
not  break  up  ourselves. 

By  that  report  it  is  clearly  shewn  that  Government  have  the  Con- 
stitutional right  to  aid  companies  in  the  construction  of  the  Pacific 
Eailroads  in  the  manner  proposed,  and  will  be  perfectly  safe  in  advanc- 
ing their  Bonds  to  the  amount  of  one  hundred  million  of  dollars. 

Thereupon  under  instruction  from  the  Commissioners  of  the  People's 
Pacific  Eailroad  Company,  I  have  caused  a  bill  for  three  Pacific  Eail- 
roads to  be  prepared  which  was  presented  to  the  House  by  Mr.  Al- 
drich  of  Minnesota  on  Thursday  last,  and  I  am  instructed  to  ask  the 
passage  of  that  bill  by  a  unanimous  vote  of  both  Houses  of  Congress. 

That  bill  has  been  examined  by  the  best  lawyers  in  and  out  of  Con- 
gress, and  pronounced  the  best  Pacific  Eailroad  bill  ever  offered. 

If  in  the  wisdom  of  Congress  it  shall  be  decided  that  three  Pacific 
Eailroads  are  too  much  for  the  people  of  the  United  States  to  under- 


PEOPLE'S  PACIFIC  KAILROAD.  5 

take  to  build,  then  I  am  instructed  to  ask  respectfully  and  earnestly 
the  passage  of  so  much  of  the  bill  as  relates  to  the  People's  Pacific 
Eailroad  Company. 

By  the  provisions  of  the  bill,  the  People's  Pacific  Eailroad  Company 
are  required  to  construct  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  on  the  eastern 
section  of  the  road,  from  their  own  resources,  before  asking  bonds  of 
the  government,  and  the  bonds  only  on  the  last  fifty  miles,  and  so  on 
for  every  additional  fifty  miles  constructed,  and  this  provision  applies 
to  both  the  other  roads* 

We  did  not  make  provision  in  the  bill  for  government  bonds  to  aid 
in  the  construction  of  the  roads  through  Texas  or  Minnesota,  as  we 
were  informed  that  large  grants  of  land  had  already  been  granted  for 
the  construction  of  the  roads  in  these  States.  In  Texas,  sixteen  sections 
of  land  to  a  mile  is  granted  by  that  State,  and  a  loan,  as  we  are  in- 
formed, of  six  thousand  dollars  per  mile. 

In  Minnesota  six  sections  of  land  per  mile  have  been  granted  by 
Congress,  to  aid  in  the  construction  of  a  road,  and  we  are  informed, 
"also,  that  mortgage  bonds  have  been  issued  on  the  Southern  Pacific 
Railroad  in  Texas,  and  the  road  in  Minnesota,  therefore  we  did  not  sup- 
pose that  either  of  these  roads  could  give  the  government  a  first  mort- 
gage lien  on  these  roads,  but  I  am  instructed  to  say  by  the  Board  of 
Commissioners  of  the  People's  Pacific  Railroad  Company,  that  they 
will  not  object  to  government  aiding  the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad  in 
Texas,  and  a  road  through  Minnesota  to  connect  with  the  Northern 
Pacific  Railroad,  to  the  amount  of  ten  thousand  dollars  per  mile,  pro- 
vided government  can  have  a  first  mortgage  Iten  on  said  roads,  and  that 
each  Company  will  build  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  of  their  roads 
from  their  own  resources,  in  the  manner  required  of  the  People's  Pa- 
cific Railroad  Company,  and  never  put  on  any  mortgage  or  construction 
bonds  on  said  roads  in  any  way,  excjpt  to  the  United  States. 

It  should  be  the  policy  of  government  in  aiding  the  construction  of 
railroads  by  a  loan  of  their  credit  to  do  it,  so  far  as  possible,  as  to  pro- 
tect the  stockholders.  If  no  mortgage  or  construction  bonds  are  al- 
lowed to  be  put  upon  the  road,  nor  mortgage  or  lien  in  any  way,  ex- 
cept to  the  United  States,  the  people  will  feel  safe  to  subscribe  for  stock ; 
the  people,  in  reality  are  the  government,  which  is  carried  on  by  agents 
chosen  by  themselves.  How  easy  the  French  government  can  raise  a 
large  loan  of  money  in  their  own  country,  by  making  government 
bonds  as  small  as  fifty,  or  even  ten  dollars,  so  that  every  one  can  con- 
tribute to  the  loan  ;  so  in  our  case,  if  we  have  our  Pacific  Railroad  char- 
ters and  grants  from  Government  so  guarded  that  no  one  person  can 


6  PEOPLE'S  PACIFIC  KAILROAD. 

subscribe  for  more  than  100  shares  of  $100  each,  and  that  every 
one  have  the  right  to  subscribe  for  one  share  and  no  mortgage  or 
construction  bond  can  be  put  upon  the  road  except  to  Government, 
you  will  find  the  people  ready  and  anxious  to  take  this  stock  because 
they  will  not  only  by  so  doing  benefit  themselves  but  enrich  the  whole 
country,  but  on  the  other  hand  if  the  companies  constr  acting  these  roads 
are  allowed  to  put  mortgage  and  construction  bonds  upon  them 
and  sell  their  bonds  in  the  market  at  twenty-five  per  cent  discount,  no 
one  will  subscribe  for  stock  because  they  will  feel  that  the  roads  will 
be  taken  from  them  by  a  foreclosure  as  it  has  been  done  in  many 
other  cases. 

By  the  passage  of  this  bill,  and  the  construction  of  the  three  roads, 
it  will  bind  the  country  so  firmly  together  by  interest  and  association^ 
that  it  can  never  be  separated.  If  one  part  of  the  country  tramples  on 
the  right  of  the  other  —  if  the  difficulty  cannot  be  settled  in  any  other 
way  —  it  will  be  settled  by  fighting  in  the  Union,  and  not  out  of  it. 

The  Northern  Pacific  Eailroad  will  accommodate  the  South  as 
well  as  the  North.  By  the  connection  of  the  Illinois  Central  and  other 
roads  with  the  roads  leading  to  New  Orleans,  Mobile,  Savannah, 
Charleston,  Eichmond,  and  other  Southern  ports  on  the  Atlantic,  the 
whole  South  will  be  accommodated.  It  will  make  a  large  market  for 
the  cotton,  rice,  sugar,  and  other  products  of  the  South. 

By  the  construction  of  the  three  Pacific  railroads,  immigration  and 
capital  from  Europe  will  flow  to  our  country  in  such  profusion  as  was 
never  before  realized  by  any  country.  Before  the  government  bonds 
will  become  due,  our  population  will  have  reached  one  hundred  mil- 
lions, and  New  York  will  have  become  the  largest  commercial  city  of 
the  world.  It  will  be  a  rich  and  happy  country,  for  we  shall  have 
the  command  of  the  riches  of  the  whole  world  — -•  every  country  will 
be  tributary  to  us. 

Even  by  the  passage  of  this  bill,  which  will  show  that  Congress  re^ 
gards  the  rights  of  every  section,  it  will  help  to  allay  the  strife  and  ill 
feeling  now  existing  and  will  at  once  relieve,  to  some  extent,  the  exist- 
ing embarrassments.  For  if  this  bill  passes  no  one  will  believe  that 
this  Government  is  to  be  broken  up. 

By  the  passage  of  this  bill  it  is  believed  that  it  will  create  such  con- 
fidence among  the  people,  that  Congress  is  determined  to  regard  the 
rights  of  every  section  of  the  country  and  do  justice  by  all,  that  all 
unfriendly  laws  passed  by  any  one  section  against  another  will  be  re- 
pealed, and  that  everybody  will  mind  their  own  business,  try  to  be 
good  neighbors  and  build  the  Pacific  Eailroads. 


PEOPLE'S  PACIFIC  RAILKOAD.  7 

There  will  be  no  rivalry,  but  emulation  by  each  section  to  get  their 
road  constructed  first. 

The  Commissioners  of  the  People's  Pacific  Eailroad  Company  have 
regarded  with  much  alarm  and  sorrow  the  present  distracted  state  of 
the  public  mind. 

"When  heretofore  the  public  mind  has  been  distracted,  and  a  civil 
war  was  iminent,  we  have  had  wise  and  great  men,  whose  counsels  have 
been  heeded,  and  the  strife  allayed.  We  have  been  looking  for  some 
of  our  great  men  in  the  councils  of  the  country  now  to  come  forward 
with  some  leading  act  that  will  quiet  and  allay  the  excitement.  We 
have  asked,  is  there  no  George  Washington,  no  Henry  Clay,  no  John 
C.  Calhoun,  no  John  Quincy  Adams,  no  Daniel  Webster,  left  to  whose 
counsels  the  country  in  many  dark  hours  have  looked  for  relief? 

Is  there  no  Andrew  Jackson  left  to  bring  us  to  our  senses  ?  What 
answer  can*we  give  to  these  questions? 

Under  this  state  of  things,  what  are  true  patriots  to  do  ?  It  has  been 
generally  supposed  that  no  one  can  become  a  great  man  unless  he  has 
been  in  the  councils  of  his  country,  or  been  in  the  army  or  navy. 

In  conversing  with  the  Hon.  J.  J.  Crittenden,  one  of  the  last  of  that 
band  of  patriots  we  all  so  loved  and  honored,  to  the  question  put  to 
him,  "  Can  you  not  devise  some  means  that  will  settle  this  strife  ?  "  he 
replied,  with  tears  coursing  down  his  cheeks,   "  I  have  tried,  but  my 
counsels  are  not  heeded ;  but  my  continued  prayer  to  God  is,  that  in 
His  wisdom  he  will  so  overrule  and  direct  the  councils  of  the  country, 
that  the  Union  may  be  saved,"  and  turning  to  us  he  said,,  "  you  must 
aid  us  all  in  your  power."     This  exclamation  came  upon  us  with  the 
power  of  thunder !     We  aid  in  saving  the  Union  ?    What  can  any  so 
humble  as  we  are  do  to  save  the  country  ? 

Our  Board  of  Commissioners,  who  are  lovers  of  the  Union,  whose 
arms  are  so  long,  and  hearts  so  big,  as  to  embrace  and  love  the  people 
of  the  whole  country  —  the  North,  the  South,  the  East,  and  the  West  — 
and  knowing  that  the  masses  of  the  people  of  every  part  of  the  coun- 
try are  honest,  however  they  may  be  led  away  for  a  time  by  unprin- 
cipled men,  and  believing  that  although  in  the  humbler  walks  of  life 
they  can  feel  and  appreciate  the  feelings  of  every  honest  man  of  every 
State,  county,  and  town  of  this  great  country,  the  Commissioners  have, 
with  great  diffidence,  directed  me,  in  case  the  passage  of  the  Pacific  rail, 
road  bill  does  not  settle  the  difficulties  of  the  country,  to  offer  our  media- 
tion in  building  the  roads,  for  the  settlement  of  all  remaining  causes  of 
dissatisfaction  with  the  different  parties  of  Congress,  and  between  Con- 
gress and  any  of  the  States,  and  between  any  of  the  States. 


8  PEOPLE'S  PACIFIC  BAILROAD. 

And  we  do  most  respectfully  request  Congress  to  devote  one  whole 
day  to  the  Union.  We  do  earnestly,  but  most  respectfully,  ask  each 
and  every  member  of  Congress  to  read  the  report  of  Mr.  Curtis,  the 
chairman  of  the  Select  Committee  on  the  Pacific  Eailroad ;  also,  the 
minority  reports  of  Mr.  Hamilton  and  Mr.  Aldrich;  the  speech  of  Grov. 
Stevens ;  the  charter  granted  by  the  Legislature  of  the  State  of  Maine 
for  the  construction  of  the  People's  Pacific  Kailroad;  and  also  exam- 
ine carefully  the  provisions  of  the  bill  presented  in  the  House  of  Eep  - 
resentatives  by  Mr.  Aldrich  for  the  construction  of  three  Pacific  Eail- 
roads,  and  then  vote  on  that  question  as  you  believe  will  be  for  the 
best  good  of  our  beloved  country.  And  with  fervent  prayer  to  God  to 
forgive  us  all  our  sins,  we  will  join  Mr.  Crittenden  in  invoking  the 
Almighty  Buler  of  the  universe  to  grant  you  wisdom  to  direct  the 
affairs  of  this  great  country  so  as  to  cause  contentment  and  happiness 
among  all  the  people. 

JOSIAH  PERHAM,  President. 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  December  18,  1860. 


